Tomodachi Life, to be released for the Nintendo 3DS console in June in the United States, allows users to control an avatar and interact with other players online. In the virtual world, characters called Miis can start romantic relationships and marry as long as they are from the opposite sex.

“Without being able to change the romantic interest of our Miis from the default, the game alienates LGBT+ people,” said an online petition, adding that this contributes to “underrepresentation” of such people in games.

Nintendo of America released a statement Friday apologizing “for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life.” While Nintendo said future installments of the series would be more inclusive to better represent all players, current versions can’t be replaced or rewritten to make the change.

Some other popular simulation games, including The Sims, allowed same-sex marriages of virtual characters.
Tomodachi Life was originally released as Tomodachi Collection Shinseikatsu in Japan in April 2013. A Nintendo spokesman said there haven’t been similar movements in Japan requesting same-sex marriage between Miis.

“Nintendo has taken a first step,” said Sara Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD, an LGBT advocacy group, in a statement. She said Nintendo must “catch up to peers like Electronic Arts,” which created the popular Sims series.